If Daood Gilani alias David Headley was worried about observing this part of the plea bargain, he did not show his nervousness, at least in front of the National Investigating Agency (NIA).

On the contrary, he mocked, ridiculed and even abused the NIA team that interrogated him with the choicest of Hindi expletives that are commonly used on Mumbai streets.

According to an official privy to Headley's questioning, the Mumbai attack accused was abusive even though he was questioned in the presence of US interrogators.

The official said the NIA did not expect Headley to be compliant and singing like a parrot but at least expected him to be more "co-operative", considering that the US sleuths were also in the same room.

They were, however, in for a shock when they started questioning him. When asked about his role in the 26/11 attack, he started mocking the team.

"He was not at all remorseful about the attacks. He scornfully said, 'the attack was planned and executed in your own backyard. You didn't even get a whiff of it and now you want to question me'," the official said.

He added that Headley chose to speak in Hindi to the NIA officials.

He told them that his arrest would not prevent more 26/11-type attacks and that there were more men who were ready to cause devastation in India.

"All his answers were quite vague and exaggerated. On being asked about the number of terror targets that were surveyed, he said there were more than 100. He said he had done the recce of 30 of the targets on his own while the rest were done by other agents," the official said.

Contrary to reports that he had called Ishrat Jahan-the Mumbai girl who was killed by the Gujarat Police in an encounter-Headley did not actually admit knowing about her.

In fact, his reply on Ishrat appeared more of an exaggeration, the official said. When asked whether Ishrat was a Lashkar-e-Tayyeba fidayeen, he said "she could have been". He then went on to claim that the LeT had trained many women in Mumbai to be suicide bombers in areas such as Bhendi Bazaar near the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, Jogeshwari in the western suburbs, Mira Road and Padgha in Thane.

The official said Headley's 'questioning had thrown up a crucial point-that Pakistan's ISI had brainwashed a certain section of public so thoroughly that their hatred towards India and Indians would never change.

"This man had so much hatred towards our country that one should not be surprised if, in case he is released even after 20 or 30 years, he returns to Pakistan to plan another attack in India," the official said.

The NIA also asked Headley about filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt's son Rahul, who Headley tagged along as a cover while he did the recce of targets in Mumbai.

The team asked Headley whether Rahul at any point knew what he was doing. He replied that though he had not revealed anything, he was not sure if his behaviour had aroused Rahul's suspicions at any point.

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